A36 steel is one of the most commonly used structural steels today. A36 steel is a low-alloy steel; however, A36 steel is considered the safest low-carbon steel because its carbon content is as high as 0.29%, and the carbon content of low-carbon steel is less than 0.25%. Therefore, direct heat treatment is not applicable.
There are three basic elements in the heat treatment process of A36 steel: heating, holding and cooling. These three basic elements determine the structure and properties of A36 steel after heat treatment. Heating is the first step in the heat treatment of A36 steel. Different A36 steel materials have different heating processes and heating temperatures.
There are two heating methods, one is heating below the critical point, at which time the organization will not change. The other is to heat above the critical point to obtain a uniform austenite structure. This process is called austenite.
